Batman is getting its first ever R-rated movie in 'The Killing Joke'

“Batman: The Killing Joke,” which stars longtime voice of the
animated version of the Dark Knight, Kevin Conroy, and Mark
Hamill as the Joker (he too has done that voice in the past), is
an adaptation of a 1988 comic in which the Clown Prince of Crime
gets Batman’s attention by capturing and torturing Batgirl
(voiced by Tara Strong), according to Entertainment Weekly.

The animated film will be available on Blu-ray and DVD later this
year following its world premiere at Comic-Con this summer.

“From the start of production, we encouraged producer Bruce Timm
and our team at Warner Bros. Animation to remain faithful to the
original story — regardless of the eventual MPAA rating,” said
Sam Register, president of Warner Bros. Animation & Warner
Digital Series, in a statement. “‘The Killing Joke’ is revered by
the fans, particularly for its blunt, often-shocking adult themes
and situations. We felt it was our responsibility to present our
core audience — the comics-loving community — with an animated
film that authentically represented the tale they know all too
well.”

According to the EW story, Warner Bros. has no plans of releasing
a PG-13 version.

This continues the studio’s path of releasing more mature
comic-book material to the superhero fan base.

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” was released last month in
PG-13 form, but there will be an R-rated extended cut released on
home video (and possibly a theatrical version of it, too, if you
believe the rumors).